Multi-text reading

As part of your studies you are going to read about memory. In this section there are four short texts for you to read and some questions for you to answer.

Questions 16–20 (one mark per question)

Read ques tions 16–20 first and then read texts A, B, C and D below the questions.

As you read each text, decide which text each question refers to. Choose one letter — A, B, C or D — and write it on the lines below. You can use any letter more than once.

Which text

16. reports on an investigation into brain activity under different conditions?

17. describes how the brain computes external information in order to make memories?

18. recommends a specific technique for remembering vocabulary?

19. compares the impact of different activities on the process of remembering?

20. presents some surprising results with implications for teaching and learning?

Text A

Chris’ blog - Study tips December 10, 2014

Mnemonics are really cool tools to help you remember facts. They’re techniques or strategies consciously used to improve your memory, and are especially useful if, like me, you often forget things. One of these strategies, which is specifically used for language learning, is called

‘LinkWord Technique’. It uses a visualised image to link a word in one language with a word in another; for example, in Thai, the word khao means rice, so you would have to imagine a cow eating a bowl of rice! The funnier the image, the more memorable it is! But the system does have drawbacks – creating a scene for every new word you learn can take up a lot of time. You might also have problems finding similarities between the two languages. Still, give it a try!

Text B

Memory

Our senses play an important part in memory creation, starting with a biological process known as encoding, which can involve all five. For example, when you first meet someone, your sense of sight will capture what they look like, while your ears will register the sound of their voice. Your sense of smell may pick up some perfume. Perhaps you shake hands, thus bringing in the sense of touch. Going for a coffee together could even mean that taste is involved.

Each of these separate sensations is immediately sent to a part of your brain called the hippocampus, which combines them into your experience, or memory, of that particular person.

Whether or not that experience will be moved from your short-term to your long-term memory is

SAMPLE ISE II

SAMPLE ISE II

page 5

page 4 This exam paper has four tasks. Complete all tasks.

Turn over page

A Our memory would stop working if we remembered everything we saw and did.

B Sight is the most important sense for the creation of memories.

C The link between words is easier to recall if it is associated with an amusing scene.

D The sniffing behaviour was only observed when the participants were sleeping.

E There are both advantages and disadvantages to the LinkWord Technique.

F Experiences that are important to us tend to generate long-term memories.

G Research has shown that ‘sleep memory’ can lead to better exam results.

H We generally remember more of what we do with others than what we do on our own.

New research from a leading US university has uncovered an unconscious form of memory which could mean that people are capable of learning while they’re asleep. As researcher Vally Pugland told us:

‘We’ve found evidence that the brain continues to process information without our knowing it, and this ability may aid our waking memory.’

Researchers played notes, then released certain scents, to sleeping participants. Later, the same notes

were played to them without the accompanying scents. The participants reacted by sniffing when they heard the notes, even though they couldn’t have smelt anything this time. This happened both while they were asleep and awake. ‘This would suggest that people can learn new information while they sleep’, said Pugland, ‘and that this can unconsciously affect their behaviour when they’re awake. We now need to investigate whether this new “sleep memory”

could improve classroom performance.’

50% of the things we discuss with others 70% of what we learn by physically doing things

90% of what we teach to others!

Questions 21–25 (one mark per question)

Choose the five statements from A–H below that are TRUE according to the information given in the texts above. Write the letters of the TRUE statements on the lines below (in any order).

21.

SAMPLE ISE II

SAMPLE ISE II

Questions 26–30 (one mark per question)

The summary notes below contain information from the texts on pages 4 and 5. Find a word or phrase from texts A–D to complete the missing information in gaps 26–30.

Write your answers on the lines below.

Summary notes The power of memory

• starts with a biological process: (26.)

• different senses can be involved

• area of the brain that processes physical sensations:

(27.)

• understanding of short-term memory versus long-term memory

• discovery of conscious versus unconscious forms of memory

• based on research recently undertaken at a (28.)

involving two particular senses: (29.) and

• the memory pyramid — illustrates the relative effectiveness of different activities

• memory improvement strategies, eg (30.)

SAMPLE ISE II

SAMPLE ISE II

page 7

page 6 This exam paper has four tasks. Complete all tasks.

Turn over page